Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design - Part 4

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murdilator
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Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design - Part 4

Post by murdilator »

Greetings readers!


I now embark upon my fourth and last part of the guide. I hope you have been able to read my writing and understand most of what I said. In this passage I will go through treasures, AI, herd editor, modify protounit triggers, and, lastly, building decks in editor. My hope is to equip you to understand the editor and, in less than a year, become a superior designer.


Treasures


How do I get treasures? How do I make them the treasure I want them to be? First of all, you will find treasures in Objects, and in the All section. Scroll down, and when scrolling down, press "t." This, while scrolling down, brings you to the start of the "t" section. This is viable when you are looking for almost anything, except there are some buggy things in the ypAsian sections in triggers. Nothing detrimental though, just annoying. A treasure is placed like a building. It is best if you place it as a Gaia unit. If you delete a treasure, you probably have to delete its guardians.

Like so:

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279007160


It is random treasure each time. With the treasure editor, found on the right hand side of the toolbar, under objects, where trade routes and herd editor are also found, you can edit these to be what you want. There is a long list of treasures, so I suggest you start trying a little things out. However, you may now think, "this is extremely laborious, why am I doing this?" Actually, there is a way to make just a couple types of treasures on your map. I will show you in a moment.

The answer is?---Map Types, found under World on the left side of the editor toolbar. These map types govern how the AI plays the map, and what type of treasures are chosen, and sometimes, what type of extra crates you start with. For instance, if I have a land map, related to great plains, I tick the check-boxes I want next to "land," "grass," and "great plains." THEN PRESS OK. Some maps do not have their own map type. Indochina is based on "borneo." That means if you want the type of treasures that you have on Indochina, tick Borneo and place treasures then.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279007763

!!! A Quick Tip !!!

I personally tick boxes I want to place treasures, and later on in making the scenario, I add another map type to enhance the AI's gameplay. If there is water, the AI hordes over it. This allows you to have what you want, when you want. I hope this helped some of you.


AI

How do I get the AI to work in my scenario as in like a regular game? The answer is simple and complex. There are several "ways" to do this. First, you must know about Player Data. This is found under Scenario, on the slight left of the toolbar, and previously could govern player resources and AI that you could command for campaign use. It does govern team names on multiplayer, but not player names. Now, as CSO, or Custom Scenarios Online has been enabled, this can govern and give an AI, but this AI can conflict with the online AI, or, even worse, if you have loaded it into human slot, the human and the AI will try to play the same team at the same time. We wouldn't want that to happen.

This AI I am talking about is none other than the AILoaderStandard. It is smarter than the regular AI, namely because you can, slightly online, give it commands to attack, and what units to train, but online, it conflicts with the regular AI. This is necessary for single player scenarios if they play like a regular game. You can click on AI box, and scroll down a bit slowly to find AILoaderStandard.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279010096

Like music, however, this ALWAYS bugs the first time you load it each time you come into the game. That means save before you load it. Also you will have to place the Player under control as "computer," not human, for it to work properly. However, in order for Any AI to work, you must place an AI start on its Town Center. What most designers don't realize is that online, you don't need the AILoaderStandard loaded. If you place the AI start for each Player except Player 1, preferably by Unit Create (randomizations), then if and only if a computer is in that slot will the AI start be active. That means you fix having humans and computers in the same slot. Rather, any can be in any slot! Voila, we have fixed it!

AI Strong Target Blocks and AI Weak Target Blocks can be used to govern AI movement and the strategic points they hold. Perhaps putting one at each player's base for each AI/Human Player except Player 1 is O.K.


Herd Editor

Ever wanted your herds to move when you shoot them? Here is the answer: under Objects, with Treasure editor and Place Trade Route on the same list, you find Herd Editor. Firstly, place some huntables, or find some already placed huntables, select the ones you want in a herd, and press "create herd." Do this for each herd. For a 1v1, have about 7 to 9 herds, with three to four herds on each side of the map, and a larger, middle herd, to give map control a good priority. Eight silver mines are also good, with a triple gold near the middle hunts mine to really spice it up.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279010886



Modify Protounit Triggers

I'm pretty sure you will understand what this means: it is what it says it is. This trigger type allows you to somewhat edit units, although it cannot by itself add attack. The useful fields it can do are these: hitpoints, speed, armor addition (3 types), population cap addition (for housing), population count (for elephants and other units), cost coin, cost food, cost wood, cost XP, cost ships (cost of HC shipments; forts could cost 1 shipment for Russia), cost export (consulate units cheaper), built limit (natives; Tashunkes), train points (1.0 train point -- 1 second). When you put in a number, you add (it is without a + sign), but if you place a minus sign, you subtract. Once again, NONE of the attack fields or attack bonus multipliers in Modify Protounit work. Use Set Tech Status, and ship a card like Iroquois Infantry attack to get infantry attack. You will find out more on your own. To get a (-) sign on vista, open word pad and copy a minus sign from there. Then paste it in the beginning of the trigger. To make it work, just make sure you have at then end of your number .0, like 100.0 Hitpoints added. Just putting 100 won't work. I believe you will get the jist of it.

!!! A Quick Tip !!!

You can ship a homecity shipment by triggers infinite times. This sets it active, but you can still ship it once regularly. It is similar with techs. If you want Veteran Musketeers to upgrade twice, meaning stack, first make a trigger that either has a condition waiting for Veteran Musketeers to be upgrading, or set it active, and have another trigger set it unobtainable, and still another after that making it active. Like so:

----------------------

(Supposing that Veteran Musketeers was just upgraded)

Trigger Name: VetMuskets1a, Active, Medium-High Priority, Run Immediately

Conditions: Tech Status Equals: VeteranMusketeers, Player 1, Active

Effects: Set Tech Status: Veteran Musketeers, Player 1, Unobtainable; Fire Event: VeteranMusketeers1b


Trigger Name: VetMuskets1b, Not Active, Medium-High Priority, Run Immediately
Conditions: Timer: 1
Effects: Set Tech Status: VeteranMusketeers, Player 1, Active.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279014714

----------------------

You have successfully made it upgrade again for a total of +40% HP and damage. You can also do this and use modify protounit to give -20% HP, so that you only get +20% HP, and +40% damage.


OR, if you would like a Shadow upgrade, or auto-upgrade, do this:

(Supposing that player hits fortress and you want auto-upgrade)

Trigger Name: VetMuskets1Shadow, Active, Medium High-Priority, Run Immediately
Conditions: Tech Status Equals: Fortressize, Player 1, Active
Effects: Set Tech Status: VeteranMusketeers, Player 1, Active.

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279014535


This upgrades like Veteran Skirmishers and Veteran Dragoons, in the same way. Also, you can do this for Elephant Shadows, which are already in place. I personally boosted Mahouts and Flail elephants separately in my 3v3WildernessRoadV4 when I learned of this from KevtheGreat at Heavengames.




Building Decks in the Editor

How do I build decks in the editor? How long does it take? This, my friends, is probably the most annoying part of the editor I have ever experienced. It takes about as long as to build your own decks. Go to Scenario, and at the bottom of that list will be Homecity Editor. To use this, first click Homecity summary, replace 10 with 131, click OK (it will ask if you want to do this), then choose ALL the new cards. After you choose the new cards, click on Build Deck. Create at least six different decks, preferably eight -- Rush, Boom, Turtle, Land, %CivSpecialStrat% NR20, NR, NR2. For every civ, you must make decks. You can name your explorer here as well. Note that the second Indian Monk, the second Japanese monk, and the second Chinese monk do not have a custom name. However, watch out so that you don't run into the wrong British HC. It is at the bottom. DO NOT click on it. It doesn't do much, but still adds a 10 HC London which doesn't really seem playable to your HC list on Multiplayer. Just a bug though. It's nice if you don't need that tagged along. I think, however, ever since RE 1.01, its quite unavoidable for new scenarios.

HC Summary:

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1279012227


Now when you build your decks for a civ, build them all at once. During that time in the editor, you can edit them to what you like. I warn you though, that once you leave the editor, you have sealed those decks for the civs you made decks for -- you cannot edit them unless you want to redo them all over again. I do not say that you have to redo all the civs, but only the one civ you need to fix. So, build about three to four decks at a time, and you will keep sanity. If you would like the AI to have a custom deck, you must make only one deck for that civ. And don't you place mass unit shipments or infinite shipments unless they are good - that means the AI will order other shipments until they are stacked away. Humans, though, like more than just one deck unless it is extremely versatile and balanced.

There are always times when you absolutely must revamp decks. I did so for my Wilderness Road when the Fan Patch came out; I gave 16 decks to Portugal; 8 non-FP, 8 for FP. That way it could be played either way. Other times, I revamped the Sioux deck on the Wilderness Road after TatlTael playtested it and told me that they were crap decks. So I looked at his, took screenshots, and put them in. This is useful when you don't know much about NR and want to see an expert deck. For instance, my friend Adrian_del_Sol was the best Chinese NR player, so I took two of his decks for NR. White_IrishKing was a great Spanish NR player and Legendary Sioux Player. I know India myself, on 300 and on NR, so I had my own spin on it. I also looked at Spinsane, a former Lieutenant Colonel with India who had prominent influence early with India. I took his rush decks for the most part. I built the turtle decks myself. I built the Portuguese decks, etc. I think I may have taken the FF from Ourk from a rec or something. Be creative. Think openly, and take offense at no comments, but be overjoyed when an expert helps you. To thank them, you could mention their name in the scenario as well, like "playtesting and balancing done by %SoAndSo%." They will be moderately surprised. You will gain a reputation and people will respect you. Through this we can influence the community to change balances we want done, build up our friendship with others, and build up the clan.



I hope this helped some of you, and I wish the very best for all of you,


God Bless you all!


regards,


murdilator
Last edited by murdilator on Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Feel the Might of the Sioux!" - Gall, when fighting and defeating your army at his own base.

---------------

Scenario Design Competition Participant 2009:

3v3 WildernessRoad: https://aoe3.heavengames.com/downloads/ ... ileid=2521
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Aaryn_GenD
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Re: Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design Part 4

Post by Aaryn_GenD »

great guide murdilator! i can now see why people were constantly saying that the aoe3 editor is full of bugs and it is tiring to overcome them.

i think you should put all of your 4 guides together and place them on agesanc & heavengames in a sticky
Last edited by Aaryn_GenD on Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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murdilator
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Re: Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design Part 4

Post by murdilator »

Thanks Aaryn! I know Heavengames may have one sticky, but I was thinking about maybe putting a link here or something. But your idea is better. I will see what they think on the websites.

Edit: I've posted it on AgeCommunity, Heavengames, and Age Sanctuary. The only downside with HG and AgeSanc was that I had to make some of the pictures links instead of pictures. Not too bad though.
Last edited by murdilator on Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Feel the Might of the Sioux!" - Gall, when fighting and defeating your army at his own base.

---------------

Scenario Design Competition Participant 2009:

3v3 WildernessRoad: https://aoe3.heavengames.com/downloads/ ... ileid=2521
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LaZy
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Re: Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design Part 4

Post by LaZy »

This is by FAR the most comprehensive Scenario editor guide ever made. Its full of easy 2 understand useful knowledge. Great job.

out
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joe4holly
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Re: Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design Part 4

Post by joe4holly »

murdilator, looks like you spend a lot of time on this and do you remember CBA from AOK ? the only one I found for aoe3 had loads of bugs in it as there over 1000 triggers in it or something.


@ Lazy I would like to see you make a scenario , you pwan to much at them.
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murdilator
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Re: Brief Guide to Multiplayer Scenario Design Part 4

Post by murdilator »

Ty LaZy!

Believe it or not, I never played AOM, Age of Conquerors, or Age of Empires I online. I merely hear of Castle Blood. I've played it a bit, but I'm not too good at it. If you guys want to playtest scenarios I'll let you get that credit. When I hosted my first multiplayer scenario (which sucked; it was an early version of the Wilderness Road without right explorers), White_IrishKing joined in and I had accidentally given myself Professional Handlers free with India. Four pop Howdah OP! But no matter. From that time on I vowed to make good scenarios with explorers in them - after he had Chief Two Moons an explorer. Ahhh those days! So in a year I became a decent designer. I like to make nonlame scenarios. But I could try castle blood if I get to know every unit.

----------------
EDIT: I should tell you that if you load an AOE3 scenario or a TWC scenario in TAD, it could be buggy with some triggers deleted, especially when you press "convert to asia" in the Arrowhead and the Samurai helmet in the top right corner of the scenario editor.
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From this vantage point, I took that, if I could balance a game in a scenario, or spice it up, and let people playtest and see for themselves, they could make conjectures or like my point of view. So its a tool that is fun, and when done well it impresses people. That's what one of my main missions is: to let people see the light I saw in something, and to bring it to them so that they can experience it, and if they choose to have it, they can. The Wilderness Road was a scrapped scenario that I made really good, after I had made Ontario. However, my latest, War of the Five Indias TourneyV6, has reasonable ways of messaging, instead of massive spams of messages in the beginning minutes -- so much that you couldn't choose a deck because so many things were changed. O well, lol.



sincerely yours,


regards,


murdilator
"Feel the Might of the Sioux!" - Gall, when fighting and defeating your army at his own base.

---------------

Scenario Design Competition Participant 2009:

3v3 WildernessRoad: https://aoe3.heavengames.com/downloads/ ... ileid=2521
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